SOMETHING WICKED
Vanity Fair US|April 2024
Director Jon M. Chu originally thought unknowns would play Glinda and Elphaba in his adaptation of Wicked, but he had to settle for superstars: ARIANA GRANDE and CYNTHIA ERIVO. VF goes on set for an exclusive peek at the beloved musical's big-screen debut
CHRIS MURPHY
SOMETHING WICKED

NEVER UNDERESTIMATE THE power of divas working in tandem. When Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande sign on to a joint Zoom call, they deliver an elongated hiii so joyous it overpowers my laptop’s speakers and knocks the sound out temporarily. “It could have been that we were both screaming at the same time,” says Erivo. “Sorry, we came in hot,” Grande adds sweetly. “We were excited.”

Like theater geeks worldwide, they’ve waited more than 20 years for the Wicked musical to be adapted for the screen. Directors as varied as J.J. Abrams, Ryan Murphy, and Rob Marshall were all reported to have circled the movie at some point; rumor has it actors like Lea Michele and Amy Adams did too. For years, Stephen Daldry was attached to direct, but that version fell apart. Why did it all take so long? “Having done something well in one sandbox, there’s pressure if you’re going to do it in the other sandbox,” says producer Marc Platt, the engine behind both the Broadway production and the film. “Maybe subconsciously, I was like, ‘I’m not quite ready for that, emotionally.’ ”

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Vanity Fair US

Both Now Sides - Selena Gomez is seriously in loveand making the best work of her career. With the audacious Emilia Pérez hitting theaters and Only Murders in the Building returning to TV, the actor, singer, entrepreneur, and mental health advocate talks, about the climb

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Vanity Fair US

Give and Let Give -Melinda French Gates is speaking out for the rights of women and girls, embracing her role as godmother to her fellow philanthropists, and getting political, even when it's a little uncomfortable.

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Vanity Fair US

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Vanity Fair US

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Vanity Fair US

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Vanity Fair US

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Vanity Fair US

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Vanity Fair US

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Vanity Fair US

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Vanity Fair US

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